Chlorin-cell



T. A PATTERSON. CHLORIN CELL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1920.

1,841,516, Patented May 25,1920.

vwewtoz WWW/607a THOMAS A. PATTERSON, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK,

ALKALI COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS NEW YORK,

YORK.

ASSIGNOR T0 NIAGARA A CORPORATION OF NEW cHLoRIN-cELL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ARTHUR Pa'r- TERSON. a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls. N. Y., in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in chlorin-Cells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chlorin cells; and it comprises an electrolytic cell adapted to deliver pure chlorin whileworking under suction, such cell having a cathode. a diaphragm and one or more anodes with leads therefor and a top or cover through which the anode leads extend, the top or cover being shaped or otherwise provided to hold a bath of sealing liquid around the anode leads, and the anode leads as well as the joints of the top with the cell being sealed by means of luting material; an off-take for chlorin advantageously being similarly luted through the top and similarly sealed by the bath of sealing liquid. all as-more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

In the manufacture of chlorin and caustic soda (or potash) by electrolysis, it is customary to use some type of diaphragm cell having a closed anode chamber run under slight suction to preclude any possibility of escape of chlorin into the atmosphere of the cell room. The anode chamber is carefully sealed to make it as near gas tight as possible, all joints being luted with a soft plastic material known as chlorin putty. These precautions are taken to prevent. as far as may be, entrance of air to contaminate the chlorin. Nevertheless, with the most careful sealing and luting it is practically impossibleto prevent, or even detect, slight leaks in the large cell units used in practice; and therefore the chlorin delivered almost invariably contains some air. Sometimes theyamount of air present is large.

Even a ver small leak in one unit of an assemblage of cells may admit enough air to run down the purity of the chlorin from the assemblage a per cent. or so. For many purposes the presence of a little air in the chlorin, while never desirable, may not be very detrimental; but for other purposes,

and notably in producing chlorin for liquefaction, the presence of air is highly 0bjectionable. In the "presenceof air, com pression and liquefaction are rendered mucl more diflicult and expensive.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' sibility Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed February 17, 1920. Serial No. 359,476.

In the presentinvention I employ a closed type of cell wherein operation may be under suction in the usual manner while producing chlorin free of air. To this end. I use a cell having a cathode and a diaphragm of any usual type. At the top I provide the cell with a cover luted in position. The.

customary luting means, whatv is known as chlorin putty, may be used. Passing through the cover are the anode leads or conductors; these leads being luted in suitable orifices in the usual way. The chlorin ofi'take may also pass through this cover and be luted in. However carefully these luted joints may be made there is always the posof the development of a leak; and frequently the leakage is difficult to discover. It must beremembered that these cells are customarily run rather hot and the luted joints are exposed to the action of steam. chlorin; expansion and contraction, etc. Leaks are bound to develop however carefully the joints may be luted.

In the present invention I obviate the effects of, and render easily detectable, any leaks which may occur by the simple expedient of prolonging the side walls of the cell above the luted top so as to form a shallow open basin. or dished top, the cover or top of the cell carrying the luted joints forming the bottom of the basin. This basin I then fill with water or with brine or other fluid sealing means. conditions. air cannot reach the luted joints and any leakage that there may be is of brine or water. Should a leak develop. it is at once visible by the movement of the liquid. The luted joints of the cover or top. and of the anode leads. are of course readily accessible through the shallow layer of brine or water, and can be readily made tightwhenever a leak develops. In other words, the liquid above the cell top acts not only as an additional sealing means to the luting, but also as an indication when leakage occurs at any point.

In the accompanying illustration I have shown one form of cell embodying my invention.

In-the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view and I Fig. 2 is a vertical section along line 2-2 of Fig. l.

In this illustration. element 1 represents the side walls of a cell, shown as made of llo l nder these concrete or the like. The cell is shown inis provided with the usual gas and liquid outlets (not shown).; These elements (cathode (angle irons and the bottom casing) may be all electrolytically connected. \Vith in the cell is the usual body of.brine,-submerged within which are graphite or other anodes 9, carried by current leads 10 extending through the top or cover. The side walls and tiles are recessed at 11 to accom' modate this cover 12, which maybe made of any suitable material. The joint between the cover and the recess is sealed with luting material 13. The oints at the points where the anode leads pass through the cover are 'luted, as shown at 14 in the same way.

'Abovethe recess, as shown, the side walls have .an extension 15, forming with the cover a shallow basin wherein is a body of liquid .'16 which may be water' or may be brine of the same character as that .under electrolysis in the cell. The chlorin otftake 17 leading tothe usual chlorin main or manifold (not shown) may be luted through the cover at 18. The sealing liquid which 'forms a shallow pool, covers all these luted joints. From the construction of the cell no short circuiting can occur because of the presence of this liquid. The liquid may be drawn off through valved pipe 19.

In use the cell is run in the. usual way under suction removing chlorin through the chlorin ofi't-ake 17. The luted joints 13, 14: and 18 provide protection against inward leakage of air in the usual way. I Should a leak develop no harm results, since there is merely an inward passage or leakage of liquid while at the same time the occurrence of such a leak is at once shown-by the motion of the liquid toward it, calling the at tention of the attendant to it and allowing him to repair it at once.

By the use of the simple expedient shown, it is easily possible to produce chlorin of 100 per cent. purity without-in any way changing the operation of the cell.

Theinvention has been described as applied to av horizontal chlorin producing cell, but it is of course applicable to vertical cells and for the manufacture of bromin .or any other gas or vapor. It is particularly ad'- vantageous in use on cells producing poisonous or deleterious gases or vapors.

What I claim is t 1. A closed "electrolytic cellhaving a gas space with all joints thereof liquid sealed;

2. An electrolytic cell having a cathode and diaphragm, an anode in juxtaposition to the cathode, and a top provided with means for containing a sealing liquid, anode connections leading through said' top, and a sealing liquid in said top surrounding said anode connections. r

3. A chlorin cell having a cathode and diaphragm, side walls, a cover lutcdto said side walls, luted anode connections extend: ing through said cover. a lutcdchlorin otttake extending through said coverand a liquid bath covering the luted joints.

4. An electrolytic cell comprising a closed container. for the liquid to be .electrolyzed, a cathode therein, an anode supported in proximity with the cathode and having leads extending throughthe top of the container, and a sealing bath of liquid covering the top of the container and covering the anode lead. a

5. An electrolytic cell comprising a closed container for the liquid to be electrolyzed, and having a dished top, a *athode in the container and one or more anodes in the container having leads extending through the dished top,'and a bath of sealing medium on the dished top surrounding the anode.

6. An electrolytic cell having walls provided with a seat for a top. atop arranged to be seated in such seat, extensions for the walls extending above the said top when the top is seated inposition, whereby there is formed a dished receptacle, and a sealing means in the dished receptacle.

7. An electrolytic cell comprising a closed container for liquid to be electrolyzed, a

cathode therein, an anode supported in 5. An electrolytic cell having contained anodes and cathodes and leads for thexcathode extending outsidethe container through the top thereof an oiitake extending through the top. and a bath of sealing means located on said top and surrounding said anode leads and said offtake.

In testimony whereof I aiiix mysignature hereto.

T. A. PATTERSON. 

